


Scatter Region

by Enchantable



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Handprint (Roswell), Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:21:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24672271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enchantable/pseuds/Enchantable
Summary: “I’m sorry,” Alex repeats, “the timing of this couldn’t be worse.”“Hey, duty calls right?” Michael offers, “it’s what you do,” Alex looks away and Michael feels like kicking himself, “I didn’t mean it like that."
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 7
Kudos: 138
Collections: Something Cosmic





	Scatter Region

**Author's Note:**

> I saw an interview about how they’re going to acknowledge what’s happening in the world next season and a mention of handprint shenanigans for Max and Liz. The isn’t a quarantine together fic, this is an Alex gets called back to Air Force at the very beginning of the virus fic. Featuring Handprint Shenanigans. 

“I have to go,” Alex says. Michael stares at him, the smile falling from his lips, “they called me back.”

The pain in Alex’s eyes makes his smile falling feel even worse but Michael can’t stop the feeling in his gut. Tonight wasn’t supposed to be a date but it could have turned into one. Maybe. He doesn’t want to force anything and he doesn’t want to let the chance go. Having it taken from them again, by something other than his own stupidity, is something he hadn’t planned on.

“What? No,” he says, “when?” Alex looks away, “you can’t tell me,” Michael says.

“I’m sorry,” Alex tells him, “it’s an all hands on deck situation. They need people with level heads—“

He trails off, going pink around the ears but Michael knows what he’s saying. Alex can walk that fine line, he can keep people from doing stupid things. He can keep it from getting worse. But it’s Alex so of course he doesn’t want to say anything about his abilities. But Michael knows. Much as he loathes the military and all of this bullshit, he knows Alex is the best of them, just because Alex is the best of everything.

“Yeah, i got it,” Michael says.

“It’s not tonight,” Alex tells him, “I just didn’t want to spring this on you at the end,” he adds quickly. Michael nods, “if you don’t want to have dinner I get it,” Alex adds.

“No, of course I do,” Michael says quickly, “come on. Just trying to process you leaving again,”

“It’s not by choice,” Alex says as he follows him down the ladder, “it’s an emergenc—“

He trails off and Michael knows it’s his turn to blush. Striking the balance between ‘let’s not move too fast’ and ‘but if you feel comfortable with this being a date I’m in’ wasn’t easy. But he thinks he’s managed to pull it off. Kind of. Getting a table and a few chairs and maybe a candle or two wasn’t hard. But they weren’t in there before.

“I just wanted you to be comfortable,” he says.

“I’m sorry,” Alex repeats, “the timing of this couldn’t be worse.”

“Hey, duty calls right?” Michael offers, “it’s what you do,” Alex looks away and Michael feels like kicking himself, “I didn’t mean it like that.”

Alex is proud of his service and as much as Michael wants to hate that he had to serve at all, he wants Alex to be proud of himself. It’s an odd place to be stuck in. He thinks he would hate it even without the alien shit that usually seems to get in the way. He’s not sure they’ve been in a circumstance where it hasn’t played a part, even if they haven’t been aware of full story.

“No, you’re right,” Alex says, “it’s a part of who I am. We said we were going to be honest. This is a part of it.”

“Right down to the awful timing,” Michael points out.

This time the joke lands and Alex chuckles. Michael tries not to feel too pleased with himself, even as the sadness aches through him. Sadness, disappointment, maybe worry too. He’s used to feeling it tucked in the back of his head, it’s how he used to feel with Max going out on patrol. If he’s being honest it’s how he’s felt at with Alex overseas too. After ten years he thinks he’d be used to it, but it the relief he’s felt at knowing Alex is at least close enough for Max to help has taken his tolerance of it.

“I guess that’s our speciality,” Alex agrees.

“Gotta deal with it some time,” Michael points out. Alex nods, looking thoughtful. It’s true though, they’ll have to deal with it. Or they can’t move forward, they’ll wind up right back where they started, “I know this isn’t the time,” Michael says finally, “but, I uh, I don’t wanna lose what we’ve done because you’re gone, you know?” He feels his face getting hot, maybe he’s allergic to laying things out like this.

“I don’t want that either,” Alex says, moving closer to him, his voice as determined as Michael has ever heard it.

Michael feels himself relax, despite trying to hold onto searching for any sign that Alex is bullshitting. He doesn’t seem to be. Alex looks around the room again and then focuses intently on him. Still Michael finds himself jumping when Alex purposefully brushes the back of his hand. Alex goes to pull back but Michael quickly puts their fingers together.

“Sorry I wasn’t expecting that,” he says.

“Was this supposed to be a date?” Alex asks.

Michael’s face burns. Though he isn’t surprised his attempt at subtly is being called out. If Alex didn’t he wouldn’t be the man Michael fell for. Alex doesn’t look upset either, or defensive or any of the things Michael was afraid of this devolving into. He looks hopeful.

“Maybe?” He says, “I didn’t know if we were there yet but if we were—“ he shrugs as Alex tightens his fingers on his, “I was gonna bring it up later.”

“There’s going to be a later,” Alex says, “you know that right?”

“I meant later tonight,” Michael clarifies, “of course I know there’s gonna be a later. You’re gonna be fine.”

Alex nods but Michael can see he’s not sure if he believes him. Michael gets it, it’s easy to look at Alex and dismiss his abilities, especially if you’re Alex. And Michael’s done his fair share of stupid shit to protect him, but that’s what Michael does. He protects the people he loves, no matter how phenomenal their abilities are. Or he tries to anyway.

“Are you?”

“Am I what?”  
“Going to be alright,” Alex says.

Michael knows what the unasked question is and he can’t even bring himself to be offended after his last few benders. He opens his mouth to deny it but realizes he’s not sure if that’s a promise he can make. Alex sighs and seems to realize the same thing. But he doesn’t let go of his hand. Michael braces himself for the ultimatum, the conditions, all the stuff that makes him feel like the orphan bargaining for a parent.

“Could you try?” Alex asks, “to be alright?”

“I mean the world’s going to shit, have you seen the news?” Alex gives him a look, “I can try but no promises.”

“I’m not asking for you to promise, I’m just asking for you to try,” Alex tells him.

Michael looks at him, suddenly dry mouthed, but he manages to nod. It’s not lost on him how different this is from the first time Alex had to ship out. But then he hadn’t known if he’d ever see him again. He hadn’t known how to say goodbye and let Alex get on with his life without falling down and begging him to take him with him. He couldn’t do that to his family. And he couldn’t explain that to Alex. Now it’s all out in the open and maybe the idea of them understanding each other is too much to hope for but Michael still finds himself doing it.

“Yeah, I can try,” he says, clearing his throat, “I guess we’ll have more to catch up on.”

“We weren’t even done catching up on the things we already have,” Alex says with a regretful smile, shaking his head, “I think we were just starting to get there but—“  
“I do too,” Michael cuts in, “damn it,” he swears, “I can’t believe you’ve gotta go now.”

In another few days maybe they would have been at the kissing phase but at the moment when Alex wraps his arms around him Michael can’t help but bury his face in Alex’s shoulder and cultch him back. It’s dumb, he knows he can take care of himself and so can Alex. He was just desperately hoping that in some way they could take care of each other. Or be in it together or some stupid thing like that.

“Hold on,” Alex says, “we don’t have to stop.”

“What?” Michael feels his heart pick up but pushes his own selfish desire away, “no, you can’t—“ he shakes his head, “not for this.”

“What?” Alex looks surprised for a moment and Michael wonders if he read this wrong, “no,” Alex begins, “I mean—“ he looks away, “it’s not—““Alex,” Michael cuts in before Alex has to choose him over the values that make him who he is, “it’s fine,” he says.

“But we don’t have to,” Alex says.

Michael’s head short circuits as Alex reaches for his belt. Not that he’s necessarily opposed to it but it wasn’t how he saw this going and it seems a little soon. Alex doesn’t take his pants off though, he just moves them over and exposes his hip. Michael tries not to be distracted by the show of skin, but his eyes keep dragging from Alex’s face to his hip and back again.

“Uh—“

“If you put the handprint on me, we can feel each other,” Alex says.”

“What?” Michael stares at him, “you want me to—that’s crazy,” he says and he’d be yelling if his voice hadn’t suddenly turned hoarse, “it’s dangerous.”

“It’s fine,” Alex says, “I’m not getting naked in front of anyone, you can hide it. At least while it stays on you’ll be able to feel what I feel.”  
“And you’ll be able to feel what I’m feeling,” Michael counters.

“So no more questions,” Alex tells him, “no more wondering,” he looks at him seriously, “if that’s what you want.”

Michael’s not sure he’s ever wanted something so badly in his entire life. Or not since he saw Alex for the first time. The idea of it is so fucking tempting. He has to force himself not to just do it. Grappling to be the controlled one isn’t new to him, not where Alex is concerned anyway. But it’s not easy either.

“Are you sure?” He rasps, “Liz and Max both said it’s distracting.”

“Do you really think I’m not going to be distract anyway?” Alex counters.

“Fair point,” Michael admits.

“Look if you don’t want to—““I didn’t say that,” Michael cuts in quickly, “I’ve just—“ he shakes his head, “I made your life hard enough. I don’t want to make anything worse.”“This isn’t making it worse,” Alex says firmly, “Look at me, I made your life hard too. We both messed up,” Michael winces at the understatement of the century. Messed up doesn’t touch the shit he’s done, “this is a way we can move forward, it’s not the only way.”

“You sure you want this,” Michael repeats.

“Do you?” Alex asks.

“Yeah,” Michael says, “okay,” he repeats, “you, uh, gotta—“ he motions at Alex’s pants. Alex shimmies them down a little further, “okay,” Michael repeats.

“Are you saying that to me or yourself?” Alex asks.

“Both of us?”

Alex shakes his head with an exasperated but fond smile and covers Michael’s hand with his own. He doesn’t steer him, he lets Michael slip his hand into his pants. For all the times and circumstances that he’s seen Alex naked, there’s something very intimate about what they’re doing. Alex guides his hand to a place high on his thigh, somewhere that if they’re going to look then they are past the alien thing.

“You ready?” He asks.

“Whenever you are,” Alex replies.

Michael exhales shakily and focuses on opening up his mental doors. This is always the hard part for him—not that he has a lot of experience. It’s easy to find Alex in the haze and stretch the connection across. Immediately he feels Alex’s mind recoil while at the same time he feels him tense against him.

“Do you wan—“

“No,” Alex says, low and emphatic, “just give me a second.”

Michael nods though it’s hard as hell to not finish this. He can feel the sweat starting down his spine. But for Alex he can hold on. Alex is still tense under his hand but Michael feels his mind relax slowly. The connection reaches back as Michael guides it and surrenders himself to it. He can feel the transfer as his handprint marks Alex’s skin. Alex inhales sharply and his fingers dig into Michael’s skin. The handprints don’t hurt, Michael knows that. But the intimacy does as he feels emotions that aren’t his move through him. Alex has to will himself to relax, when he looks up at Michael something unsteady is in his eyes. Michael forces himself to project calm and sees it begin to ebb away, even as he feels the slight smugness come back at him from Alex’s end.

“I guess we’re going to have to do the date when you come back,” Michael rasps. Alex nods and feels the longing but he’s not sure if it’s his or Alex’s, “did we screw this up already?”“No,” Alex says, “not by a long shot.

For the first time in a long time, Michael doesn’t have to force himself to believe him or look for any sign that he’s lying. He may have cooked but when Alex goes to pull away, he shakes his head. His emotions come through and Alex nods. He’s not ready to step back either.

“Not yet, okay?” Michael says.

“Okay.”


End file.
